Gimlet Takes a Job/plot
Chapter I: The job At one of their regular reunions, Gimlet tells Copper, Trapper and Cub that he had been given a job as the governor of the small British island colony of Santelucia. He asks the others to come along but it will not be a holiday. Two previous governors had already disappeared and he expects someone will try to remove him. Gimlet gives the rest an account of the strange history of the island. During the war, the British government had appointed a local native, Jabez Christian, as a "special commissioner" to oversee the production of sugar on the island. When the government learned that Christian was exceeding his authority, they sent a governor named Copland to take over. When six months later a naval frigate called with fresh supplies, it found that Copland was dead and Christian had moved back to his old job at Government House. Another governor,Colonel Baker, was sent. Nothing more had been heard from him. Then, a Norwegian ship had reported that Christian was back in power. He had set up a special police force and had begun extorting money from visiting ships. Chapter II: Santelucia Gimlet and co. arrive at Santelucia to be greeted by one "General Pedro" who claims to be the commander of the army of Santelucia. Gimlet, of course, has no time for him and tells him to get out of his way and remove his theatrical uniform. When they get up the hill to Government House, they find Pedro again, with a few men on parade. Inside the bungalow, they meet a strange man in a silk dressing gown and wig. He is Jabez Christian. Gimlet tells him to leave the house, which he unexpectedly does without complaint. He only states that Santelucia is "not a place for white men". That night, the tom toms drums begin beating, obviously telling others on the island about the new arrivals. Chapter III: A visitor tells a tale In the night, there's knocking on the window panes. It turns out to be Frederick Gates, the batman of Colonel Baker. He tells them everybody on the island lived in fear of the houngan or voodoo priest called Pappa Shambo. He was said to be able to turn dead people into zombies who would work as slaves for their masters. That probably explained Gimlet and co.'s initial impression of the local population who all seemed half dead and fearful of something. The thing that terrified the locals most was to find the "mark of death", a chalk mark on their door which signalled impending death. After Colonel Baker had first arrived, an Arab trader had come to them to tell them about Jabez Christian. He had apparently been levying taxes on the locals in order to buy liquor which a trading schooner would bring to the island from time to time. After the Arab returned home, the chalk mark was on his door and he died soon after. The Arab was buried but during the night, sounds of digging could be heard at the cemetery. Colonel Baker had gone to check and when he returned, he appeared to be a changed man--he seemed to have lost all his energy and waste away. One day he walked out and did not return. After that the rest of the colonel's entourage died one by one. Gates, fearing for his life, ran and hid in the abandoned ruined fort nearby until he saw Gimlet arrive. There is the sound of yells, drums and cymbals in the streets. Copper flings open the door. The mark of death is on it! Chapter IV: Gimlet asks some questions Gimlet continues questioning Gates about his experiences. In the meantime, Copper very much wants to disperse the crowd making all the noise outside. However Gimlet is not willing to take any drastic measures just yet. He does agree to step outside with the others to show they are not afraid. Copper wipes the chalk mark off. Gimlet tells Gates to remain well hidden. If Christian thinks he is dead, this could give Gimlet a trick up his sleeve. Chapter V: Making a start Christian had been told to gather the population by Government House at nine the next morning but nobody turns up. So Gimlet sends Copper and Trapper to fetch a man he had seen peeping from behind a curtain in the house opposite. He is "Joe". He looks terrified but Gimlet gives him a can of bully beef and sends him to fetch Christian. Then he asks Joe to return with his children. Christian turns up, apprehensive rather than belligerent and it is apparent that he is not the real power on the island: that would be Pedro or Pappa Shambo. Gimlet orders him to remove the dressing gown, which he had obviously stolen from Colonel Baker, and he complies without argument. Gimlet then asks him to fetch Pedro and then Papppa Shambo. At the mention of the last name, he breaks down and pleads not to be asked to do that. Meanwhile, Joe comes back dragging his children. Some chocolate and ice cream made by Trapper serves to overcome their fear and more children arrive, including a youth named Rupert. As more children gather, their parents follow and soon Gimlet can address the crowd. He tells them they have nothing to fear, that he is here to improve their lives. All they have to do is obey his orders. In the middle of this, a man comes up offering a melon. Gimlet, knows it is poisoned and cuts a piece and orders him to eat it. He takes a small bite and flees, holding his stomach. Chapter VI: Preliminary sparring Gimlet questions Joe about conditions on the island. He and the other islanders had been forced to work in the sugar cane fields for no pay, all afraid of being turned into zombies. His eyes have enlarged pupils, showing he is under the influence of some drug. This, Gimlet surmises, is administered through tobacco which Christian gives out to them to smoke. Gimlet visits the town gaol and releases the prisoners. They also seem to be in a drugged state like Joe. Gimlet walks on to a sugar cane field. Gates suddenly screams and runs off. It's the dead Arab. He has just seen him working on the field. Chapter VII: The first round Pedro and Shambo fail to report at the appointed time as instructed. Gimlet sends Trapper on a reconnaissance to locate Shambo's house and voodoo temple. Armed with this knowledge, Trapper, Copper and Cub are sent to fetch Pedro and Shambo. This is not done without a struggle as Shambo, Pedro and Christian attempt to draw razors. Copper deals with this, knocking out Shambo with one of his usual upper cuts and then orders Pedro and Christian to bring the unconscious voodoo priest to Government House. There Gimlet orders Pedro to remove his military uniform. Shambo is wearing clothes stolen from Colonel Baker and he is ordered to remove them as well. He is then locked up in the town gaol. Chapter VIII: Round two Copper, Trapper and Cub are sent to burn down the voodoo temple. While there, they search Shambo's house and hear morse! He has a modern radio transmitter but why? Cub removes the valves and return to Gimlet. Rupert arrives to tell Gimlet that Joe is "very sick". The mark of death is on his door. Joe is convinced he must die. They need to fight this using what Joe believes in so Gimlet fetches Shambo and places a noose around his neck. He warns the priest that unless Joe is cured, he would be hanged for murder. Shambo breaks down in fear. He erases the chalk mark and mutters a few words. Joe says he is feeling better. Chapter IX: A visitor by night Joe is made lance corporal in charge of the local levees and he and Rupert move into the stable building next to the bungalow. Towards evening, they discover that Shambo has escaped from the town gaol. Someone must have a spare key. During the night, Rupert rushes in terrified. Copper and Cub go out through the back door and can see Joe walking towards the jungle with his arms out like he is feeling his way. Copper shines a torch at where Joe is heading and sees a figure holding a curved blade. He fires and the figure staggers and falls. Joe wakes up and can't understand what has happened. They carry the fallen figure into the bungalow. It's the Arab trader! Chapter X: The Houngan hits back The Arab is only lightly injured. He comes around the next morning. He doesn't remember what happened nor even working in the cane fields. He thinks he has just left his shop and wants to go back to it. Outside, Copper and Cub discover blood stains in the undergrowth behind where the Arab was standing. Someone, perhaps the Houngan, was standing there and could have been hit by Copper's bullets. Gimlet sends Copper and Cub back to the Houngan's hut to listen out for signals on the radio. The hut is deserted but there are sticks smouldering on the hearth which give out a strange aromatic smell. Soon, Cub begins to feel weak and disorientated. Looking back, he sees that Copper has collapsed on the floor. Pedro appears at the doorway. Instinctively Cub fires three shots at the figure. Chapter XI: Gimlet takes over Now that the Houngan has escaped, Gimlet senses that Copper and Cub might be in danger and he goes to the hut to check. He arrives just in time to hear Cub's three shots and finds Pedro dead, with Copper and Cub almost unconscious. He airs the hut and revives the two and they get back to town. Chapter XII: The Mill According to Joe, the sugar cane is processed at a mill and the cane juice is then brought to a trading schooner which calls occasionally. Gimlet plans to revive the economy of the island and decides to take a look at the place. The sugar would be a useful source of revenue. Copper and Cub prevail on Joe to show them the way and he does so reluctantly, still fearful of zombies. At the mill, they see some slaves working in the same half-dead manner with blank stares. One of them is a white man. Could he be Colonel Baker? A guard arrives with food for the workers. Copper overpowers him and forces him to talk. Only Shambo can cure the slave workers and he is hiding in the old fort. Copper makes the guard order the slaves to march towards the town. Category:Plot summaries